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Depp, Mann Teaming Up?And no one wants to buy Mann's film noir with Leo.

It was reported in January that there were two rival film projects about slain Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in the works, one from director Michael Mann and another from producer-star Johnny Depp. Mann's film will be based on Death of a Dissident, a book co-written by the poisoned ex-spy's widow Marina. Depp's project is Sasha's Story: The Life and Death of a Russian Spy, based on the book by Alan Cowell. Now a report claims that Mann and Depp will team for Mann's version. Is it true?

According to The Guardian, Marina Litvinenko was at the Cannes film festival promoting Rebellion: the Litvinenko Affair, a documentary about her late husband, when she spoke about the dueling Hollywood movies. The paper's report, however, says that Depp will star in the Warners-based Dissident, which suggests that he has shelved his Sony-based version in favor of Mann's movie. (Dissident has a huge advantage over Sasha's Story in that it has the screen rights to Marina's life.)

IGN contacted Depp's production company, Infinitum Nihil, which advised us that the Guardian report is inaccurate. We were told that Depp will not star in the Mann version and, although he is not attached to star in anything yet, if he were to make a Litvinenko movie then it would be Sasha's Story. So that settles that.

In other Michael Mann news, the Los Angeles Times reports that the John Logan-scripted film noir that Mann will direct with Leonardo DiCaprio set to star can't find a studio to finance it. The project has been shopped around for several weeks now to no avail. The story is a period thriller set in the Golden Age of Hollywood. DiCaprio would reportedly play "a tough-guy studio fixer named Harry Slidell."

According to the Times, "At $120 million, even with DiCaprio, the deal was too rich, especially when people can get their Hollywood fix today via Entourage or Extras. The only studio with real enthusiasm is New Line, which has a history of buying material nobody else wanted." Also coming against Mann, the paper claims, is the fact that his last film, Miami Vice, was an expensive underperformer. His reputation for going over-budget and for being a testy perfectionist is also said to be hurting him.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

In a seven-figure pitch deal, Columbia Pictures has acquired "Empire," a drama that John Logan will write for Michael Mann to direct and Will Smith to topline.

Neither the studio nor the principals would elaborate on the plot, but sources said that Smith will play a contemporary global media mogul.

Smith and James Lassiter's Overbrook Entertainment will produce with Mann's Forward Pass.

"Empire" puts the director back in the ring with Smith for the first time since "Ali." Mann has been working as producer with Smith, Lassiter and Akiva Goldsman on "Hancock" (formerly "Tonight, He Comes"), the Peter Berg-directed Columbia Pictures drama that stars Smith as a disaffected superhero.

Mann, who just produced "The Kingdom" with Scott Stuber for Universal, is in the process of locking down a film he'll direct early next year.

"Empire" reteams Mann's with "Gladiator" scribe Logan. They developed "The Aviator" together when Mann planned to direct that picture before handing it to Martin Scorsese to helm and producing the drama.

Smith next stars in the Warner Bros. drama "I Am Legend," which opens Dec. 14, and is in pre-production on "Seven Pounds," a co-production of Overbrook and Escape Artists for Columbia that reteams Smith with "Pursuit of Happyness" director Gabriele Muccino.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

US filmmaker Michael Mann, known for movies including "Collateral" and "Heat", will direct a film about Russian former spy Alexander Litvinenko, a foundation set up after his murder confirmed Thursday.

Mann's version will be based on a book co-written by Litvinenko's widow Marina, said the Litvinenko Justice Foundation, which campaigns for the truth over his agonizing death by radioactive poisoning last year.

US actor Johnny Depp is reportedly producing a separate account of his life and death.

The confirmation came on the day Marina Litvinenko's book "Death Of A Dissident: The Poisoning Of Alexander Litvinenko And The Return Of The KGB" is released in Portugal.

"A film version of the book is being developed by Columbia Pictures and will be directed (by) Michael Mann," said the foundation, which like Litvinenko is based in London.

Litvinenko, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in a London hospital last November from radiation poisoning after apparently accusing Putin of involvement, a charge the Kremlin denies.

British prosecutors want to charge another former spy, Andrei Lugovoi, over the murder but Russia has refused to extradite him, prompting a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions.

Marina Litvinenko was in Lisbon on Thursday to press the European Union to raise the issue at an EU-Russian summit there on Friday.

The Litvinenko Justice Foundation aims to keep pressure on the British and Russian governments to bring his killer to justice.

Its founders include Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky, who is exiled in London and donated 500,000 pounds (717,000 euros, one million dollars) to the foundation.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Johnny Depp doesn't shy away from blood in the upcoming "Sweeney Todd," for which he's being touted as a major Oscar contender, and he might again find himself awash in blood if he opts to join up with producer-director Michael Mann for a film about the Depression-era crime wave.

Mann has long been interested in mounting a screen adaptation of Brian Burrough's nonfiction book "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34" for Universal; at one point, Leonardo DiCaprio was attached to the project, but DiCaprio is headed into Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island."

But Mann -- who has considered taking the helm of Columbia's spy thriller "Edwin A. Salt" but has not committed to that project because he believes it needs a rewrite -- has an open slot.

As for Depp, he was to have starred in Warner/Initial Entertainment's "Shantaram" followed by Warner Independent's "The Rum Diaries," but both of those projects were postponed last month, leaving the star with an opening in his schedule.

So Depp and Mann are sitting down this week to discuss the possibility of joining forces; Depp is said to be eyeing the role of bank robber John Dillinger. Along with Mann, Kevin Misher is on board as producer; Robert De Niro and his partner Jane Rosenthal, who originally optioned the book, have been involved as exec producers; and the studio is looking at a March start in Chicago if all the elements come together.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

According to a person familiar with the situation, Bale will play Melvin Purvis, the legendary FBI agent who led the manhunt for John Dillinger. Depp is starring as Dillinger in the pic, which is set up at Universal and is slated to begin production in March.

Mann is producing via his Forward Pass banner, with Kevin Misher and his Misher Films. Jane Rosenthal of Tribeca is exec producing.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

The Oscar-nominated "La Vie en rose" star Cotillard will play Billie Frechette, the lover of the country's most notorious gangster, John Dillinger (Depp).

Tatum will play outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd, Ribisi will play Alvin Karpis, Dorff is near a deal to play Homer Van Meter, and Clarke will play John "Red" Hamilton. That quartet repped a Dillinger gang that knocked off banks all over the Midwest during the Depression.

Bale plays Melvin Purvis, who was tapped by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover to lead a manhunt that established the FBI as the country's first federal police force after the G-Men killed Dillinger outside the Biograph Theater in 1934.

The shooting script was written by Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman and Mann. Mann will produce with Kevin Misher. Jane Rosenthal is exec producer.

U, Mann and Misher spent several years developing the film, which came together quickly after the postponement of Depp's expected spring slot, the Warner Bros. drama "Shantaram."

Cotillard is available because the Weinstein Co. postponed "Nine," the Rob Marshall-directed musical she is still expected to star in with Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Sophia Loren. Moving that project forward was a key reason TWC signed an interim deal with the Writer's Guild of America.

Tatum was available after United Artists halted the Oliver Stone-directed "Pinkville." Ribisi has been shooting the James Cameron-directed "Avatar," and Clarke most recently wrapped the Jada Pinkett Smith-directed "The Human Contract" as well as the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed "Death Race."

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

When I saw producer Kevin Misher painfully limping into Chaya Brasserie for lunch this week, having just returned from spending months in Chicago producing "Public Enemies," the upcoming Michael Mann 1930s gangster movie, I have to admit that my first thought was: "Oh no, Mann must've been using live ammunition again." Anybody who's ever worked on a Michael Mann film has stories to tell that sound like tall tales, at least until you spend some time on his sets and see for yourself that pretty much anything can happen when Mann has a full head of steam.

Outside of James Cameron and perhaps David Fincher, no one is as much of a hard-headed perfectionist as Mann, who has a special zeal for authenticity. When I spent time on his "Ali" set in Miami, he insisted on shooting a scene where Ali first sees Malcolm X at the exact mosque where Malcolm was preaching. He also shot a scene set in the backyard of Ali's Miami home at Ali's real house, even though the backyard was right in the flight pattern of Miami International Airport, meaning a plane flew overhead every 90 seconds, repeatedly drowning out the dialogue. One of the production guys shook his head, grumbling "We didn't have this problem when we shot near LAX with 'Heat.' " Why was that, I asked? "Michael got the flight controllers to reroute LAX traffic to a different runway for a few hours."

Frankly, when I scheduled my lunch with Misher back in May, I thought for sure the producer would end up canceling. "Public Enemies," which stars Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, was slated to finish shooting June 30 to beat the SAG strike deadline. But having seen what happened on Mann's last movie, "Miami Vice," which went endless months over schedule, I figured the odds of Mann being done on time were about as slim as the Dodgers finishing the season with a winning record. And yet, here was Misher, bloodied (he actually hurt his leg in a hiking fall) but unbowed. So how did Misher and Universal Pictures manage to keep Mann on schedule?

Misher says Mann was incredibly focused about finishing on time, no doubt because the filmmaker saw the strike deadline on the horizon, knowing it would wreak havoc if he had to shut down before shooting was completed. That doesn't mean that Mann has lost any of his thirst for authenticity.

"Whenever we could we shot exactly where the events happened--if we could find where Dillinger walked, we shot where he walked," said Misher. "We shot at the Biograph Theater on the very street where Dillinger was killed, so that scene was exactly where the real events happened. All we did was change the facades of the buildings and reverted them back to period. We also shot at the Little Bohemia lodge up in northern Wisconsin, which is the scene of a famous gunfight between the FBI and Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson." Mann even dug up vintage tommy guns that were made in the '30s to be used by the gangsters. When I asked for details, Misher threw up his hands. "You gotta ask Michael," he said. "The guns are his department. He knows all there is to know."

The truly amazing thing, frankly, is that Universal Pictures, having lost tons of moola on "Miami Vice," had the stomach to get back into the ring with Mann a second time around. But like Martin Scorsese, Mann is a great filmmaker who's a magnet for movie stars, so the studio couldn't resist the idea of an action-packed period thriller with Johnny Depp at the top of the bill. As Misher put it: "If you're looking for action, I don't think you'll be disappointed. We've got three bank robberies, two prison breaks and who knows how many shootouts."

Slated for July 1, 2009, "Public Enemies" gives Universal a big summer tentpole movie. But instead of the dumbed-down dreck that decorates most studio summer slates, "Public Enemies" has the opportunity to be a critical success as well. It also boasts a romantic storyline--"La Vie en Rose's" Marion Cotillard has a hefty role in the film as Depp's love interest--that could draw female moviegoers too.

Universal Chairman Marc Shmuger says the studio got revved up when it first read the script, which was written by Ronan Bennett, with a rewrite by Mann and Ann Biderman. "It really felt like the most exciting thing Michael's done in years," said Shmuger. "It's a seminal gangster saga, but it's also a classic doomed lovers story. They meet on the run and you know that they know that the relationship can't last, which makes the film really heart-wrenching. With that combination, well, let's face it, there's just not that many filmmakers in the world besides Michael could do that."

Shmuger admits that it was a tough shoot, but that comes with the territory in Mann Land. "When Sam Fuller said that 'Film is a battleground, love, hate, violence, action, death--in a word, emotion,' he must've been thinking about Michael Mann," Shmuger says. "With every movie, he goes into battle. I'm sure you've heard all the legendary stories about the fallout and casualties. But that's the only way Michael knows how to make movies. And we're willing to take the bet that out of that commitment and passion will come a great movie."

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

It’s been nearly three years since Jamie Foxx and Michael Mann last collaborated on “Miami Vice” and just as long since the pair announced plans for a fourth team-up. Now Foxx has confirmed with MTV News that their “Damage Control” is still on the way.

The film is planned as a sports drama, focusing on Foxx as a professional publicist/spin doctor who represents troubled players. With steroid abuse a major part of today’s headlines, Foxx believes that there’s no better time to get “Damage Control” to the big screen.

Though he admitted that the film had been gestating for some time, Foxx implied that it was still very much on the radar. He’s taking off acting for a little while to go on tour with his music, but “Damage Control” could theoretically be Mann’s next project after this summer’s upcoming “Public Enemies”.

There had been word that Mann was developing “Frankie Machine” about a retired mob hitman as a Robert DeNiro project (formerly helmed by Martin Scorsese) but news on that front has been scarce since the initial announcement back in 2007.

Foxx, who plays schizophrenic musician Nathaniel Ayers in April 24th’s “The Soloist,” seems pretty confident that, even without a firm date revealed, “Damage Control” is definitely not a forgotten project. Mann will no doubt have an update on the matter this summer when “Public Enemies” hits theaters.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Columbia Pictures and director Michael Mann will team to tell the story of renowned war photographer Robert Capa, using the snapshot of a torrid two-year romance with Gerda Taro during the Spanish Civil War.

The studio has acquired “Waiting for Robert Capa,” a Spanish language novel by Susana Fortes, and set Jez Butterworth to adapt it.

Mann will produce through his Forward Pass banner. He will also direct.

The story begins in Paris in 1935, where Capa, a refugee from Fascist Hungary, met Taro, a refugee from Nazi Germany, met with the intention to become photographers. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War one year later began Capa’s emergence as the most renowned war photographer ever, and established Taro as the first frontline female battle photographer. She was killed in the battle of Brunete in 1937.

Mann, who last directed “Ali” and produced “Hancock” for Columbia, had long wanted to find a way to make a film about Capa and found his way in through the Fortes novel. Capa was shattered by Taro’s death, and though he’d later romance the likes of Ingrid Bergman, Capa never married. When he was blown up by a land mine during the French Indochina War, the only photo found in Capa’s wallet.

Some 4300 photos taken mostly by Capa and Taro during the Spanish Civil War were recently discovered, and the images will be the subject of a show to be held at the Institute of Contemporary Photography next year.

Mann, who last directed the Johnny Depp-starrer “Public Enemies” for Universal Pictures, intends to make a gritty, low budget film. He chose Butterworth based on his play “Jerusalem,” and for a James Brown biopic that Butterworth wrote with brother John-Henry Butterworth. The writers also teamed on the script for “Fair Game,” the Doug Liman-directed adaptation of Valerie Plame memoir which stars Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Michael Mann is in talks to direct “Luck,” an hour-long HBO series pilot about horse racing culture created by David Milch.

Milch, who wrote the pilot script, last brought “John From Cincinnati” and “Deadwood” to HBO.

Milch will be executive producer along with Carolyn Strauss and Mann. The plan is to shoot in April, most likely at Santa Anita Race Track. Getting to the start gate is a major achievement for Milch, who has seen horse racing from every angle, including owning close to 100 horses and winning several Breeder’s Cup races.

“The pilot is about a bunch of intersecting lives in the world of the horse racing track,” Milch told Daily Variety. “It’s a subject which has engaged and some might say has compelled me for 50 years. I’ve joked that if I just can make $25 million on this show, I’ll be even on research expenses. I find it as complicated and engaging a special world as any I’ve ever encountered, not only in what happens in the clubhouse and the grandstand, but also on the back side of the track, where the training is done and where they house the horses.”

The lead role, not yet cast, is Ace Bernstein, whom Milch described as “a guy versed in all the permutations of finance, elicit and otherwise. When he is released from jail for securities violations, he resumes his place at the race track, where he is a figure of long-standing repute.”

Mann, who is close to a deal to direct, sparked to the Milch script, and also the feedback he got from Martin Scorsese and the experience he had directing the “Boardwalk Empire” pilot for HBO. Mann’s last directing foray on the small screen was 1987’s “L.A. Takedown,” a precursor for Mann’s crime film classic “Heat.” He and Milch have a long friendship which goes back to the days when Milch was running “Hill Street Blues” and Mann was doing the same with “Miami Vice.”

Bonnie Timmerman, who often collaborates with Mann, will cast the series.

“I am feeling very lucky to have Michael direct this and am champing at the bit, to borrow a few horse racing phrases,” Milch said.

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“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

In his first major TV series gig, the Oscar winner has signed on to topline HBO's horse-racing drama pilot "Luck," from Michael Mann and David Milch.

The project is described as a provocative look at the worlds of horse-racing and gambling told through a diverse group of characters surrounding a racetrack.

It centers on an intelligent, intuitive and tough man (Hoffman) who has always been involved with gambling, from bookmaking and money laundering through casino operations.

Recently released after four years in prison, he teams with Gus Economou (Dennis Farina), his longtime chauffeur and muscle, to craft a complex plan involving the track. They recruit Turo Escalante (John Ortiz), a successful trainer with sordid reputation.

Milch wrote the pilot, which Mann is directing. Both are executive producing with Carolyn Strauss and "The Sopranos" alum Henry Bronchtein.

The pilot is eyeing an early spring production start in Los Angeles.

Landing Hoffman is a major coup for HBO as the "Tootsie" actor has not done TV in more than 40 years.